Water Quality, Seasonal Water-Level Changes, 1988-89, and Simulated Effects of Increased Water Use from the Ozark Aquifer Near Branson, Missouri
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WATER QUALITY, SEASONAL WATER-LEVEL CHANGES, 1988-89, AND SIMULATED EFFECTS OF INCREASED WATER USE FROM THE OZARK AQUIFER NEAR BRANSON, MISSOURI By Jeffery L. Imes U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4057 Prepared in cooperation with the CITY OF BRANSON and the MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY Rolla, Missouri 1991 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information Copies of this report can write to: be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports 1400 Independence Road Federal Center, Bldg. 810 Mail Stop 200 Box 25425 Rolla, Missouri 65401 Denver, Colorado 80225 CONTENTS Page Abstract..................................................................................»^ 1 Introduction...........................................^ 1 Puiposeandscope......................................................^ 3 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................... 3 Drainage system and topographic relief.......................................................................................................... 4 Geohydrology of the study area...................................................................................................................... 4 Ground water................................................................................................................................................... 9 Water quality in selected wells................................................................................................................ 9 Water levels in the Ozark aquifer............................................................................................................ 15 Water-level monitoring............................................................................................................................ 29 Water use by municipalities, public water-supply districts, and selected businesses.............................. 29 Simulation of ground-water flow near Branson.............................................................................................. 29 Model boundary conditions..................................................................................................................... 36 Steady-state calibration: March 1989 pumping conditions..................................................................... 37 Steady-state simulation: predcvelopment conditions with lakes............................................................. 40 Transient calibration: June-July 1989 pumping conditions..................................................................... 45 Sensitivity analysis.................................................................................................................................. 48 Predevelopment and post-development hydrologic budgets................................................................... 49 Estimates of future drawdown: June-July 2010....................................................................................... 49 Summary................................................................................................_^ 49 References cited.............................................................................................................................................. 54 111 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figures 1-13. Maps showing: 1. Location of study area................................................................................................. 2 2. Principal streams and faults........................................................................................ 5 3. Topographic relief....................................................................................................... 6 4. Outcrop area of regional geohydrologic units............................................................. 8 5. Altitude of the top of the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer......................................... 10 6. Altitude of the base of the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer....................................... 11 7. Location of wells in which water-quality samples were collected and analyzed for selected inorganic constituents and volatile organic compounds...................... 12 8. Predevelopment potentiometric surface of the upper zone of the Ozark aquifer........ 17 9. Location of wells in which water levels were measured and reported in table 4 and location of water-level monitoring wells.......................................................... 23 10. Potentiometric surface of the upper and lower zones of the Ozark aquifer, summer 1987........................................................................................................... 24 11. Potentiometric surface of the upper and lower zones of the Ozark aquifer, June-July 1988......................................................................................................... 26 12. Potentiometric surface of the upper and lower zones of the Ozark aquifer, March 1989.............................................................................................................. 27 13. Potentiometric surface of the upper and lower zones of the Ozark aquifer, June-July 1989......................................................................................................... 28 14. Graph showing water levels in well 125 (City of Branson "Michel" Well) and well 144 (Gateway subdivision).............................................................................. 30 15. Map showing location of wells for which monthly ground-water-use data were collected.......................................................................................................................... 33 16. Map showing extent of modeled area and relative size of model grid cells...................... 34 17. Geohydrologic section showing relative thickness of the regional geohydrologic units and the model layer representing aquifer units...................................................... 35 IV ILLUSTRATIONS-Continued Page Figures 18-24. Maps showing: 18. Measured and simulated potentiometric surface of the upper zone of the Ozark aquifer, March 1989................................................................................................ 39 19. Measured and simulated potentiometric surface of the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer, March 1989............................................................................................... 41 20. Simulated predevelopment potentiometric surface of the upper zone of the Ozark aquifer, including the effect of Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals Lake............................................................................................... 42 21. Simulated predevelopment potentiometric surface of the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer, including the effect of Table Rock Lake, Lake Taneycomo, and Bull Shoals Lake............................................................................................... 43 22. Drawdown in the upper and lower zones of the Ozark aquifer resulting from pumping stresses in March 1989............................................................................. 44 23. Measured and simulated potentiometric surface of the upper zone of the Ozark aquifer, June-July 1989.......................................................................................... 46 24. Measured and simulated potentiometric surface of the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer, June-July 1989........................................................................................... 47 25. Diagram showing the predevelopment water budget (including lakes) and the March 1989 water budget.......................................................................................................... 50 26. Map showing pumpage induced drawdown in the upper zone of the Ozark aquifer from June 1989 to June 2010.......................................................................................... 51 27. Map showing pumpage induced drawdown in the lower zone of the Ozark aquifer from June 1989 to June 2010.......................................................................................... 52 TABLES Page Table 1. Generalized relation of stratigraphic units and geohydrologic units in the Branson area............................................................................................ 2. Results of specific conductance measurements, fecal coliform bacteria count, and analyses of water samples for selected inorganic species for water samples collected in September 1988............................................................................. 13 3. Well information, volatile organic compounds, and detection limits for water samples collected in September 1988.................................................................. 16 4. Depth to water in selected deep and shallow wells............................................................ 18 5. Monthly ground-water use by the primary ground-water users in the Branson area......... 31 6. Sensitivity of calibrated June 1989 model simulation to changes in hydraulic variables......................................................................................................................... 48 VI CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply inch-pound unit By To obtain